Press Conferences

Mr. IWAYA Takeshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs: I have four announcements at the outset.

First is about my attendance at the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ Meetings.

I will visit Malaysia from tomorrow to attend the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ Meetings.

Through the series of meetings, I would like to make continued efforts to strengthen Japan-ASEAN relations as “Trusted Partners.”

In addition, I intend to firmly send out a message that, by promoting a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP),” Japan will lead the region to dialogue and harmony, rather than division and confrontation.

Furthermore, on this occasion, I will hold a Mekong-Japan Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the Ministerial Meeting of the Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD). I would like to deepen Japan’s cooperation with the respective countries, with a view to further developing the Mekong region and providing support for Palestine by drawing on knowledge of the Asian countries.

Minister Iwaya: Second is about the visit to Japan by Minister of Foreign Affairs Anand of Canada.

The Canadian Foreign Minister Anand will be visiting Japan from today to July 9.

I look forward to exchanging views on a wide range of areas, such as bilateral cooperation, including the signing of the Agreement on the Security of Information today, and international situations, and to further strengthening the Japan-Canada Strategic Partnership.

Minister Iwaya: Third is about the establishment of an organization that will function as a control tower to deal with issues on foreign nationals in Japan.

Today, a policy to establish a new control tower organization within the Government to address various issues related to foreign residents was announced. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce the initiatives being taken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), a member of this organization.

Building on the recommendations of the Liberal Democratic Party’s Special Committee for Realizing a Society of Orderly and Harmonious Coexistence with Foreign Nationals, MOFA, working together with relevant ministries and agencies, has been strengthening its initiatives to realize an orderly, intercultural, and cohesive society with foreign nationals to ensure the safety and security of the Japanese people.

First, it goes without saying that we conduct rigorous visa screenings for foreign nationals before their arrival in Japan. Furthermore, we have taken opportunities, such as foreign ministers’ meetings, to express our concerns and request countermeasures to the governments of countries with high numbers of illegal stays or criminal arrests.

In addition, we have been issuing a range of warnings on illegal stays, illegal employment, and violations of social etiquette to foreign nationals residing in Japan through the embassies of their home countries in Tokyo.

Moreover, in cooperation with the police among others, even if foreign nationals who committed a crime in Japan were to leave the country, we request the governments of these foreign nationals to bring them to justice. We are also working with the Immigration Services Agency to take a strict approach to resolve the problems, including expediting coordination with foreign governments for the deportation of illegal residents.

As for long-term initiatives, through the Japan Foundation, we are improving the Japanese language education environment for foreign nationals before they come to Japan. We are also carrying out awareness-raising activities in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other organizations and are working with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to create arrangements that enable foreign and Japanese nationals to become active players in an intercultural and cohesive society.

Under the direction of Prime Minister Ishiba, MOFA will continue to play an active role in realizing an orderly, intercultural, and cohesive society with foreign nationals to ensure the safety and security of the Japanese people.

Minister Iwaya: Fourth is about personnel decisions on senior officials as of July 14.

The personnel decisions related to senior officials of MOFA were approved during the Cabinet meeting today. The announcements will be effective as of July 14.

Assistant Chief Cabinet Secretary and Deputy Secretary General of the National Security Secretariat ICHIKAWA Keiichi will return to MOFA and will be assigned to the Minister’s Secretariat. I understand that he will be succeeded by Deputy Minister/Director-General of the Foreign Policy Bureau, KOBE Yasuhiro.

Director-General Kobe will be succeeded by Director-General/Assistant Minister of the North American Affairs Bureau, ARIMA Yutaka. Director-General Arima will be succeeded by Deputy Director-General/Deputy Assistant Minister of the Minister’s Secretariat, KUMAGAI Naoki, who has been in charge of the North American Affairs Bureau.

Amid a constantly changing international situation, MOFA will continue to exert all efforts to address a wide range of diplomatic issues with this new group of officials.

That is all from me at the outset.

Yomiuri Shimbun, Kamimura: I would like to ask about the U.S. tariff measures. President Trump posted a letter stating that a 25% tariff will be imposed on Japan starting on August 1, citing that the U.S. relationship with Japan is “far from Reciprocal.” Please share your thoughts, the Government’s future responses on this matter and your assessment of the negotiations so far.

Minister Iwaya: As you pointed out, on July 7, U.S. time, the U.S. Government released a letter stating that a 25% tariff would be imposed on all products sent from Japan, and that the tariff will be imposed starting on August 1. We have already received such a letter from the U.S. Government.

As you are aware, Japan and the U.S. have continued to engage in vigorous negotiations sincerely and in good faith. However, there are still some points on which both Japan and the U.S. cannot agree, and regrettably, we have not yet reached an agreement at this point.

This is because the Government of Japan has continued to conduct negotiations based on a policy of avoiding easy compromises and firmly protecting our national interests. We have continued tough consultations with the intention of demanding what must be demanded and protecting what must be protected.

The U.S. Government’s announcement of a tariff rate increase, on top of the additional tariffs already imposed, is deeply regrettable. At the same time, the consultations thus far have resulted in an extension of the deadline. As such, as Prime Minister Ishiba instructed at the meeting of the Comprehensive Response Headquarters for U.S. Tariff Measures held earlier, the Government will continue to hold Japan-U.S. Consultations and work tirelessly to explore ways for a mutually beneficial agreement while protecting Japan’s national interests.

Under Prime Minister Ishiba’s leadership, MOFA will coordinate and cooperate closely with the relevant ministries and agencies and fully support the negotiations led by Minister Akazawa. The Government will make all-out efforts, working as a unified force and addressing this issue as our utmost priority.

Kyodo News, Sakaguchi: I would like to ask a follow-up question. I understand that Minister Akazawa has made frequent visits to the U.S., and that working-level officials have held repeated consultations of their own. Nevertheless, no results have been achieved regarding the elimination or reduction of tariffs so far. First of all, what are your thoughts on this situation? What is your view on whether Japan needs to reconsider its strategy for future negotiations with the U.S.? I believe Japan has been quite reluctant to apply pressure on the U.S. or negotiate with the U.S. in coordination with other countries, or to raise tariffs on the U.S. Is there any room for reconsidering such possibilities?

Minister Iwaya: Minister Akazawa visited the U.S. six or seven times, and I am aware that he held a telephone talk today. Through the negotiations to date, I believe a relationship of trust has been firmly established between the Japanese and U.S. authorities. In addition, I understand that the two sides have moved closer to an agreement on a significant part of the so-called package.

However, negotiations are not considered settled until all issues have been agreed upon. I understand that the negotiations are continuing because there are still some unresolved pieces. As I stated earlier, this is because Japan is engaged in these tough negotiations based on the approach or policy of firmly protecting our national interests and protecting what must be protected. I believe that is why the negotiations have been proving quite challenging. However, there is still some time left, and we must continue to engage in vigorous and sincere Japan-U.S. negotiations. MOFA intends to lend its full support to the negotiations led by Minister Akazawa.

Regarding our response going forward, I would like to refrain from commenting based on speculation, but we will aim to reach an agreement with the U.S. as soon as possible. I think you have asked about Japan’s thoughts on coordinating with other countries, for example. The series of tariff measures imposed by the U.S., an economic superpower that accounts for a quarter of the world’s GDP, will likely have a very significant impact on the world economy. Therefore, I believe it is extremely meaningful to maintain close communication and exchange information with other countries regarding these impacts.

As I have stated since these negotiations began, the Government of Japan has kept all options on the table and has been negotiating with perseverance. Based on the policy of reaching an agreement through negotiations, we will continue to engage in vigorous consultations and negotiations.

Asahi Shimbun, Kato: I have a question related to the visit to Japan by Canadian Foreign Minister Anand, which you mentioned in your opening remarks. My question is about the Agreement on the Security of Information that is to be signed. I believe Japan has been concluding information security agreements with the members of Five Eyes, an intelligence framework among five Anglosphere countries including the U.S. I would like to ask about the significance of signing the Agreement on the Security of Information with Canada.

Minister Iwaya: The Agreement on the Security of Information to be signed shortly between myself and Canadian Foreign Minister Anand sets out measures for appropriately protecting the security of classified national security information between Japan and Canada.

Through this agreement, we expect that there will be even more beneficial information exchanges between the two governments.

In the context of the ongoing severe international and geopolitical situation, we attach extremely deep significance to signing this agreement with Canada, which is also a G7 member.

Kyodo News, Sakaguchi: My question is regarding your attendance at the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ Meetings you mentioned at the outset. If a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi of China is being arranged on the margins, could you tell us about the status of the arrangements? There have been positive developments with China, including its resumption of imports of Japanese aquatic products. On the other hand, challenges remain in areas such as security. What would you like to discuss if a meeting takes place? If I may ask one more question, I would like to ask about the schedule of your overseas visit. Can I confirm until what date from tomorrow you will be overseas? Thank you.

Minister Iwaya: At this stage, nothing has been decided about holding a Japan-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on the occasion of the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ Meetings. On this basis, I will not speculate at this stage on what will be discussed if a meeting is held, but in previous meetings, Japan and China have confirmed that the two sides would make efforts based on an intention to comprehensively promote a “Mutually Beneficial Relationship Based on Common Strategic Interests” and thereby build “constructive and stable Japan-China relations.” As a result, we are currently seeing developments leading to the resolution of concerns, including the import restrictions on Japanese aquatic products that you just noted. I believe that we need to accelerate such developments.

At the same time, there are still issues and concerns between Japan and China, including security matters and the cases of Japanese nationals being detained. Accordingly, it is important to firmly maintain and assert our position and call for responsible actions by China to reduce the remaining issues and concerns one by one. To this end, we will maintain close communication with China and make utmost efforts to deliver tangible achievements.

I will depart tomorrow for the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ Meetings and return to Japan on Saturday, July 12.